AKP plans field push in 2027 buildup to elections: Report

ANKARA

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is assembling a team of about 1,500 people to work on the ground ahead of the next elections, according to a report by daily Hürriyet.

The effort, planned to run through November 2027, follows what officials described as an “intensive and systematic” first phase during Ramadan, when ministers, senior party figures and lawmakers held direct meetings with citizens and shared feedback via digital platforms.

Outreach will expand in the coming months, AKP officials told Hürriyet, with a shift toward in-person events across city centers and rural areas.

“We are on the ground on all fronts. Our programs will intensify in the spring and summer months … We will be in the field rather than at indoor events,” the officials said, adding that some will be attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

As part of the plan, the party will train educators to operate at provincial, district and neighborhood levels, focusing on organization, communication and party strategy. A digital application is also expected to support coordination among field teams.

Separately, Erdoğan visited neighbors in his hometown of Güneysu in the Black Sea province of Rize during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, greeting residents and giving toys to children. First lady Emine Erdoğan accompanied him.

The political backdrop includes renewed pressure from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which has called for early elections since the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Türkiye's next scheduled national elections are set for 2028.

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, a key ally of Erdoğan, has dismissed those calls and reiterated his support for the president to seek another term.

“I am in favor of our esteemed president continuing in his position, regardless of the circumstances. He should continue in 2028,” Bahçeli said in an interview with daily Sabah, pledging full backing if Erdoğan runs again.

He also praised the president’s leadership through the failed July 15, 2016 coup attempt and its aftermath.

"There may be difficulties in social and economic matters, but these are not insurmountable," Bahçeli added.